Wolfspeak
by Ravyn Darksword
Summary: Twenty years have passed since the building of Wyvern's Nest. But the people of the wolf pack that lives nearby have lost their patience. Their borders and ways of life are threatened, and only their princess, Sivvet Ebonara can save them.
1. Chapter 1

_When the serpiente and the avian people speak of Leben and Maeve, and their children, the results of the seduction by Maeve, they mention the white vipers, the king cobras, the hawks, the falcons, and all the other sects in between. But never once do they mention Leben's first child, his beloved daughter Lupera, the child he had with his previous, and then deceased wife. Never once in their legends do they mention the sleek form of the wolf that he gave her as a second body, nor does it mention the results of her branching out into the human race, her children with humans. The wolf form was always, of course, predominant. And so the race of the loup was preserved. But now we are threatened. As a princess, it is my job to care, my job to fix what the avian and serpiente people have done to my people._

_I am Sivvet Ebonara, princess of the loup people, future Alphess, or queen, a fact that the serpents and birds would do well to remember. They built their nest, Wyvern's Nest, (how I shudder to hear that vile name) on the grounds of the very valley we call our home. And their only remorse? "There is a wolf pack that lives there, but they won't mind." The sheer arrogance is almost human, almost that of those animals that call themselves civilized, with whom we no longer associate because of their treachery and debauchery. _

_So I must fight for the sake of my people. Travel where the wolves have been too proud to go before, amongst those of the very blood that shoved my people away twenty years ago, two years before I was born. It is I who must consort with them, who must lower my defenses and attempt to regain my land and the land of my people. Only time will tell how worthy I am of such a task, and only time will tell when the day has come to fight._

_A/N: This is based on the brief mentions of wolves in Amelia Atwater-Rhodes's Keisha'Ra series. Most characters are hers, but some come from my own imagination, as does the basic gist of the plotline. I hope you enjoy._


	2. Chapter 2

I spun and slashed upward with my long sword, my black hair, streaked with gold, flying behind me. "Very good, Sivvet." my teacher, Tennebren said, a tad breathlessly as he parried my blow and drove me backward in a flurry of flashing steel. My guardsmen and best friend since I was three, Mendres, sighed and gave a rather rueful smile from the sidelines. I wasn't entirely certain he had the confidence that I wouldn't run off somewhere to practice my sword work in a place that was either unsuitable or dangerous. Stalwart and tall, he had the heavy black eyes of a grey wolf, and the tiny brushings of down at the back of his neck, underneath his mahogany hair were indeed steel grey, businesslike and not uncommon, although his was unusually dark.

Tennebren, on the other hand, was the polar opposite of my almost-brother. His eyes were pale, as pale as the milk our cows gave, although with a bit of blue tinge. The fur, like his heavy mane of hair, was of the purest white, a rarity among wolves, and certainly a dangerous color when one was attempting to stay hidden. But he was not only the oldest loup I knew, he was the strongest and most intelligent, although he could have a mysterious, brooding side that often made me want to throw him in the lake.

It was Tennebren's sword that broke my concentration, rising finally to kiss its cold steel edge to my throat after two hours of sparring. "You have improved much, Sivvet," he said gravely, "But you must learn not to drift off into your own thoughts." I bowed, my luminous green eyes lowered. "Yes, sir." I said quietly, sheathing my finely wrought sword in the sheath at my hip. Mendres put his hand on my shoulder to steer me away. "You are improving, Sivvy." he told me quietly, using my childhood nickname. "But Tennebren is right. For the sake of my job, and your own life, will you please try to be more careful?" I smirked. "Of course I'll try, but I cannot make guarantees, Menny." I answered coolly, using his own nickname. "You know that. It's me we are speaking of." Mendres sighed. "Let's go back into the den, then, shall we?" I obliged willingly; I wanted to speak to my mother.

I found her in a relative state of distress. She was arguing loudly with her advisor, who looked both pained and a bit scared. I touched my mother's shoulder and pulled her gently away. "Mama," I greeted her. "How are you?" She looked at me, her eyes, the same liquid metal as mine, were sad. "Sivvy…" she began, tailing off. "The time has come." My heart seemed to drop into my stomach. "You mean I have to go?" I answered hesitantly. "Yes, Sivvy." She sighed deeply. "The avian and serpiente people are closing in on our boundaries. It is time for you to go to them and ask for their respect."

My heart seemed to drop into my stomach, as I struggled to compose myself. The loup did not have such strict codes of blankness as the avian people once did. Our customs did not ask us to hide our emotions; however, the royalty was expected to be calm at all times, and to present themselves with a strong sense of authority, as a wild, true alpha wolf would. "Sivvet, my daughter, you will not be alone. You will bring Mendres with you, and whom ever else he deems worthy to accompany you. If the serpiente and avian people have any sense of what is good for them, they will welcome you with hospitality, even if it is grudging." I nodded, but I was too overcome with apprehension, even nerves, to speak. "You leave in the morning, beloved." She whispered to me. "And I wish you well."


	3. Chapter 3

In the morning I tucked several pairs of breeches, tunics, and belts into a traveling bag, which a guard would carry for me on horseback, as I planned to take my wolf form to travel to Wyvern's Nest. As a wolf, I was far stronger, faster, and more alert than any human or horse, and thus I would be safer. Because my fur was as black as the night, streaked with gold, I would blend in perfectly.

I considered my fate. Would I return safely? I was my mother's only heir. My brother was only thirteen, and while he was courageous and had the physical characteristics of a human's angel, with the blond hair to prove it, he was flighty and young. I had not taken an alpha for my husband, nor had I taken a lover. The kisses of men did not interest me, as I had other things on my mind, and other things that concerned me more. Moreover, I was much too busy to spend time with any men in a situation other than for matters of state and in friendship.

For many years, there were people who had expected nothing less than for me to take Mendres as my Alpha when I rose to the throne. What only a handful of people understood was that Mendres was like a brother to me. Neither he nor I had any interest past that of familial with each other. He, in fact, was already secretly betrothed, and looking for a way to tell both his and her parents, because she was of a highborn family.

With those thoughts still swirling in my mind like a thundercloud, I strapped my weapons belt to my waist and stepped down the hall of the Den to meet up with my guard, comprised of eight young people, four men, and four women, as well as the guard who would ride the tall chestnut horse to bring my things. I bowed to my mother, whose eyes were almost inscrutably misty with sadness, and I turned to my guard. "Shall we go?" I asked quietly. My mother hurried forward and pressed something into my hand. It was a necklace carved of emerald in the form of the crescent moon, the symbol of the loup people. My people.

"This is yours from when you were small." She said quietly, her voice rather choked. "I thought you deserved to have it now." I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a reassuring smile. I turned to my guards, who had all shifted into their second forms, as I did then, my weapons belt remaining tightly cinched to the bone and sinew that was my middle. We sprang forward, into the forest, as fleet as birds and faster than any horse or deer.

There is something magical about running as a wolf. You never tire, even after miles of steady galloping. In your nostrils, you are given the scent of the wild, the tress and grass about you, the other animals, the skies, the perfumes of flowers. It is as close to flying as any wolf will ever get, and it is ever so much better than one would imagine. But it was all too soon that we reached the hill above Wyvern's Nest. I shape-changed back into my human form, now clad in a tight fitting tunic, and clinging breeches, as tight and smooth clothing is all we can bring with us under our wolf bodies. I adjusted the dagger, sword, and knife at my belt, and with a nod at my guards, strode down the hill.

I was greeted by a guard of the Nest's own. A viper led them, his eyes pale green, and his hair so fair as to be almost white. "What business have you here?" he demanded of us, his eyes cold and calculating. "I am Sivvet Ebonara," I replied with a bow, "Princess of the loup people. I have come to speak to the Diente and Tuuli Thea." I could see the eyes of both him and the guards scan me. While it was not totally unheard of for a female to go about clothed in some sort of loose trousers, in both avian and serpiente societies, to see one dressed with absolutely no regard for femininity had to have been a bit of a surprise. I knew bits and snatches of the culture at Wyvern's Nest, courtesy of our spies, versed enough in magic to conceal themselves.

The viper bowed, although it was short and controlled. "Aye, Highness. I am Ailbhe, Captain of the Guard," he answered with dignity, "But I will have to escort you to Diente Zane and Tuuli Thea Danica." I shrugged my shoulders lightly. "Whatever you must do to, ah, make yourselves feel safe." I said airily, knowing that I would hit a nerve with my hint that the soldiers were afraid.

I and my guardsmen were flanked by the serpiente soldiers, and marched down the hill to the great hall that I assumed to be where the Diente and Tuuli Thea lived, as well as heir to the throne, Oliza Shardae Cobriana, and her cousin and the heir should anything happen to Oliza, Salem Cobriana, the Diente's nephew. We stepped into the hall, and for a brief moment, I was in awe of the difference between it and the den. There are many, many differences between the loup and serpiente cultures, but it is true that they share the same sleeping habits, where so many people sleep together in a large nest, as often as possible, all intertwined.


	4. Chapter 4

The hall was large, with a dais in a room that was off to the side, where I presumed the famed serpiente dancers performed. Ailbhe seemed to sense my surprise, and smirked. I toned down my expression to one as blank as stone, but my eyes still roamed the great marbled hall. At the end of the hall was a room with a great table. _A room for negotiations and meetings,_ I mused._ That will be where I make my proposals to the rulers._ Ailbhe and his men ushered us in, closing the door behind them, with a few posted outside to guard it. "Wait here, please, Highness." He said shortly. "I will see if the Diente or Tuuli Thea can come to see you."

The moment he left, I pondered what I would say to the monarchs. I could not start off with the demand of a treaty. It would be rude and inhospitable to do so. I would start by asking if they had a place for me and my guards to stay for a bit, to learn about the customs of those who lived so close to our borders. _Yes, the borders that used to be wider._ I thought, my mind's voice an angry hiss.

With a soft swish and a click, Ailbhe entered. "The Diente Zane Cobriana and his wife, Tuuli Thea Danica Shardae." he announced, sweeping out the door. Two stately figures glided in, heads held high. The Diente was tall, with a strong, light build. his hair was ebony and silky, cut two or three inches from his scalp. His eyes, of course, were Cobriana garnet, a hot ruby red in the warm, fair skin of his face. His wife, Danica, was the sort of beautiful that even if someone hated her, they had to admit to it. Her skin was golden, her face still young and fresh. Her eyes were the same shade as her hair, and I could see the metallic feathers at the nape of her neck when she turned.

I rose, sliding into a smooth bow, then straightening my posture, my head held as proudly as theirs. "I am Princess Sivvet of the Reqiunne pack." I informed them, my tone regal and a bit condescending, although whether they would catch that depended on their intelligence as monarchs. The Diente nodded. "It is our pleasure to have a wolf in our midst after so many years." he replied pleasantly. "But to what do we owe this honor?" I shrugged, allowing a small smile to play over my features. It didn't hurt for them to see me as a worthy adversary and one with few qualms about defying them.

"The Alphess, my mother, sent me to study the customs and culture of Wyvern's Nest," was my response to that. "I hoped only for a place to stay and enjoy myself so that I may reveal these customs to my mother. After all, should we not know the lifestyles of those whose borders are so close to ours?" The Tuuli Thea spoke up then. "I agree, Princess Sivvet." she returned formally. "However, this seems more like a means for espionage than anything else." "I assure you, madam, that is not our intention." I interjected sharply. "Our intentions are naught but the purest."

The Diente frowned at my use of the word "madam" to address his wife, but said nothing about it. "Well, then, Princess, I imagine that you may stay as long as you feel fit. If you don't mind, though, we shall have to put you in one of the spare rooms in the Nest, as there is no more comfortable place available." I nodded gracefully and turned to my guards, who had risen up from their wolven forms. "Well, gentlemen," I said brightly. "Shall we go?"

The room that a maid showed us to was simple but much grander than any inn would have been. The interior decorating seemed to have a theme of blue and gold, and was most comfortable. I spent a period of two or three hours drawing up paperwork that I had brought with me to pass the time, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. A guard opened it, and in stepped a young woman and a man whom I knew to be the Princess Oliza, heir to the thrones, and her cousin, Salem Cobriana and the son of the Diente's sister.


	5. Chapter 5

The young man bowed first. "Princess Sivvet," he greeted me. "Enjoying your stay so far?" There was a twinkle of mischief in his garnet eyes, and a shadowy smile playing on his handsome, fair features. His hair was the same black as his uncle's, but worn longer, curling about the nape of his neck and stopping at his eyebrows in the front. "Indeed, sir," I said, as warmly as I could manage, although warmth and genteel were both something I was rather lacking in. The princess smiled gently, and she caught my eye as a strong willed, fiery young woman. "I am Princess Oliza." she said with a smile that was considerably more pleasant than mine. "This is my cousin and friend, Salem Cobriana. We were hoping to show you around so that you might see the Nest, and the people who live here." Her eyes were as golden as her mother's, with skin to match, and her hair was black, streaked with red and gold, very like mine, although I lacked the reddish bits. The feathers at her neck ranged from red to gold.

I inclined my head slightly. "I would be honored." I informed them. I followed the pair out of my rooms, rolling my eyes in exasperation, then switching my expression to carefully blank when they turned to look at me. I had wanted to finish that paperwork, as it was important, and I wasn't interested in wandering about aimlessly. That was, of course, what Mendres always said my problem was. "You spend more time with things than with people, Sivvy," he'd tell me. "You wonder why no one approaches you, but it's because you make yourself unattainable." The princess and her cousin would find that out soon enough, I supposed.

The two young people stopped me in front of the dais I had seen earlier. "This is the dais where the dancers perform." Salem said. I watched his garnet eyes appraise me slowly, in heated debate, perhaps over whether I was suitable to be here. "Are there no singers?" I asked, a bit confused. Oliza jumped in. "Yes, but they generally only provide the music for the dancers. They rarely perform on their own." she answered. I nodded slowly, but it made little sense. "To my people, singing is the greatest joy. My guard Mendres has a lovely voice. Someday, if your people wish, I will have him perform for you." Salem grinned. "Can't you sing, Princess?" he asked, rather mockingly I thought. "I can," I returned briefly. "I just don't enjoy performing, that is all."

The tour continued, with stops at various fountains, art rooms, shops and other places both inside the Nest, and in the streets surrounding it. I found myself enjoying it, particularly the company I was keeping with Salem and Oliza, who both seemed pleasant and friendly, although Salem was a bit of a jokester. I had many questions about avian society, serpiente society, and the two cultures combined, as they were here in the Wyvern's Nest. The two people, who were roughly my age, although Oliza seemed to be about a year older, and Salem about two, seemed to like showing me about their city which I could only fathom as being because there were few they had given the tour to before.

Finally, though, the sun began to sink behind the hills of the north. We returned to our rooms, smiling at something Salem had just said, and making promises to see each other in the morning. I stopped at my door and smiled at my guards, who seemed a bit taken aback. "Princess Sivvet," began Oliza, but it was Salem who finished. "We are having a performance tonight, or the dancers are, anyway. Oliza will be performing an ancient blade dance, and the various troupes will be performing in groups. Afterward there will be music and food. We will be honored if you would come." I considered this for a moment. It gave me little time to get ready, but I decided that it would be the best way to meet people, and to talk with agents that the loup people had put here.

"I would enjoy that greatly." I said diplomatically. "And please, call me Sivvy." With few other words, I slipped into my rooms. I flopped on my bed, something I never did, having too much dignity, and stared up at my ceiling. Only a few hours, and already I was getting too attached to the locals. I resolved to tighten my grasp on my emotions, and to hide them much more thoroughly.

I dug through my traveling bags, hoping to find something that even remotely resembled either a dress, or formal wear. At the bottom I found it: A green dress of the same shade as my eyes, cut low in the back and mid-chest at the front, with a hem that settled about my feet. I donned it quickly, untying the thong that held up my hair and giving it a quick brushing before tying it back again. A knock on the door awoke me from my attempt at looking nice. "Please enter." I called. it was Oliza, and she smiled when she saw my frustration with my hair as it stubbornly refused to go back up in a horsetail. "May I?" she asked, reaching for my comb. I nodded, and she took it off of the armoire and ran it through my hair. "Leave it down," she suggested. "You're giving the impression that you don't do so very often." I smiled slightly, but face gave nothing away. 'It is hard to work when you have hair in your eyes," I said with a shrug. "I never had a reason to leave it down."

Oliza took my arm and led me out the door. Mendres grinned when he saw the dress and my hair. "I always knew there was a girl under there somewhere." he said with a laugh. I glared pointedly, but his grin stayed on his face. We found Salem at the bottom of the staircase, dashing in a velvet black tunic and silk trousers. He glanced from his cousin's golden dress to my green one, and let out a low whistle. "I get two lovely women to escort tonight." he said brightly, offering an arm to each of us. I hadn't any idea what to do with the arm, and mimicked Oliza when she rested one hand on it lightly.

The room of the dais, which I now knew to be the actual heart of the Wyvern's Nest, was buzzing with excitement. Musicians tuned their instruments, the dancers stretched, and the audience held lively conversations. My eyes searched the room for familiar faces, but the only ones I saw were those of the Diente and Tuuli Thea, and the Captain of the Guard, Ailbhe, who stood stalwartly at the door. Salem led us to eats at the front, courteously inviting us to sit down, but neither I nor Oliza did. Oliza took my hand and guided me to wear a black haired girl spoke with a tall, pale haired young man. "Nicias," she greeted him, touching his shoulder. "Hello, Hai." she added to the girl.


	6. Chapter 6

In the moment that is blue eyes and my green eyes met, I knew we would never be friends. Falcons and loup never get along. There is too much rivalry with magic and fighting ability, as well as the worshipping of the loup, which they called untrue and almost barbaric. "Nicias, this is Princess Sivvet, of the Reqiunne pack." Oliza turned to me. "His parents are Kel and Andreios, friends of my mother." I nodded shortly. "I know." I said coldly, my eyes sweeping over to meet those of the girl, Hai. Her eyes, shockingly, were as red as Salem's, her skin the same shade of pale fairness. "This is Hai." Nicias said, his voice as frosty as mine. "Her father was the Diente's brother, and her mother a falcon."

I nearly recoiled at that. A mongrel, living among others? The falcon rarely even regarded them as human, much less allowed them off the island. My skill as a diplomat took over, though, and I nodded once more. "How are the loup these days?" Nicias asked, his voice falsely sweet. "Any run-ins with humans?" The falcons looked down on our human ancestors, believing them unworthy of shape shifters. "Nicias!" Oliza cried, obviously startled by his rudeness. "Not recently, no." I said, my voice pleasant and level, another result of years of training to keep my expressions neutral. "Pleasure meeting you." Oliza and I drifted away, chatting briefly with others before she went to sit with the crow she was courting, Marus.

The lights dimmed, signifying the impending start of the dancing. I strode to my seat beside Salem and lowered myself into it. In loup society, we did not have many chances for frivolities liked dancing and such, although we did enjoy singing. We spent most of our time learning as children, and working as adults, with very little time between to develop things like music and dance. The opening strains of flutes filled the air, sweet and haunting. Then the drums joined in, steady and insistent, pounding underneath the high, clear melody of the flutes. Then lutes flowed with the rest, rich and baritone and as silken smooth as honey.

Salem leaned towards me, a twinkle in his crimson eyes. "Beautiful, isn't it?" I nodded slowly, wanting only to hear the lingering strains of the engaging music. The dancers came onto the dais, bodies clad in various combinations of gold and green gauzy cloth. This was Maeve's dance of the Keisha'Ra, the seduction of Leben. The bodies of the dancers rocked in mimicry of worshippers. Then a willowy, young woman with black hair danced on, her hair unbound, he dress long and rippling. Sighs came from the audience at her pure beauty. The music became suggestive, seductive, and syrupy.

As the dance wore on, I became ever more enraptured by its grace and utter splendor. Never had I danced, or performed in front of anyone but Mendres, my mother, and my brother. The sheer purity of the dance nearly brought tears to y eyes. I suppose Salem saw it, because he touched my shoulder sympathetically. I couldn't look at him. I was terrible at close relationships. After a certain level, I felt nervous, trapped, and I drifted away from those who considered themselves my friends. His gentle hand on my shoulder only reminded me of that, only made me think that this was as much as he'd ever see of the Princess Sivvet, cold hearted future monarch of the loup.

As the dancers ended their last number, bowing to the audience, skin glistening with sweat, chests swelling with pride and fatigue, the entire audience rose and cheered, many voices becoming one as they shouted their encouragement and delight. I was with them, although I did not shout, merely clapped, a small smile playing over my lips. The lights came up, and the audience mingled further, drifting to the table laden with confections and drinks, mainly alcoholic, but with several that were not, for the enjoyment of the younger guests, many of whom had parents who prohibited alcohol until a certain age.

"Would you like something?" Salem asked, gesturing towards the foodstuffs. I shook my head pleasantly. 'No thank you, sir. I shall eat something when I get back to my rooms." I answered gratefully. I turned to leave, but he caught my arm lightly. "Why are you leaving?" he demanded, garnet eyes searching. "I have work I need to get done." I answered, pulling as softly as I could from his grasp, only to have him tighten it.

"Do you really disapprove of our society that much, Princess?" he wanted to know, sitting down and pulling me after him into an adjacent chair. "I don't disapprove, sir." I returned as diplomatically as I could. "I'm merely not one to mingle." Salem shook his head. "My dear Princess, you need to go out more." I narrowed my eyes. Never had anyone but Mendres questioned my quiet, almost antisocial ways. Now this man, almost a stranger, did it without so much as a by-your-leave. Salem grinned- _grinned-_ at my reaction. To say the least, I was shocked. Once again, another first in my years as a mature person. He had challenged, without words, but all the same, my persona.

"It is the truth, sir." I told him, rising once more, followed closely by Salem as he rose with serpentine grace from his chair. "You may call me Salem, Princess Sivvet." I don't know whether I visibly trembled or not, but inwardly I did. Already we had gone beyond any sort of alliance I had ever had with anyone else. Already he seemed to care beyond the thoughts of anyone else I knew. All I know is that my heart twisted at the look of mild concern he had in his eyes, and it was all I could do to not allow my defenses to break down there and then. "I must leave…. Salem." I said quickly, hurrying away, and leaving him standing there, a look of mild bewilderment on his handsome face.

I sat at the edge of my bed, my hand wrapped about the emerald pendant my mother had given me before I left. Suddenly, my nail caught, and I glanced down at it to see why. It was a locket, I saw, and I opened it. My stomach seemed to drop, my heart to clench and slow its beating. In the locket were miniaturized paintings of my mother and the father I barely remembered. For a moment I could feel his arms about my child's body, whispering in my ear that though he left, he'd still be with me, in the moon. Now I saw that his words were true in to ways. When I sang to the moon at night in both human and loup form, I could imagine him singing back from the golden moon. And now I knew that he lived inside my necklace, too.

Too tired to muffle them, I fell back onto my back, my sobs tearing from my throat and leaving it raw. "Sivvet?" came Mendres's soft voice from behind the door. "Yes, Menny." I said, sitting up and wiping roughly at my cheeks with the back of my hand. He opened the door and stepped in, his dark eyes alighting on my tearstained face and the glint of green in my hand from the locket. "Oh, Sivvet, you saw the portrait, didn't you?" I nodded, not questioning him about knowing before I did. My mother often trusted him with important things.


	7. Chapter 7

He came around to my bed, seating himself next to me and wrapping his arms around me tightly, resting his lips against my hair in a brotherly kiss as I fell back into sobbing. I buried my face in his shoulder, against the warmth that was him. He was so kind to me, so good to the girl whom he thought of as his headstrong younger sister. "I want to go home." I said, a burr in my voice from crying. Mendres nodded, drawing back a little. "I know you do, Sivvy. We all do. But this is important to your people, to your mother. You want to help, don't you?"

I nodded, wiping my tears away for good. "Your mother needs you to take care of you. She has since your father left. If this is what it takes, then this is what you have to do." I nodded, unclenching my fists from his shirt. "Thank you, Menny." I said, standing up and putting my usual blankness on my face. As Mendres turned to leave, he looked over his shoulder at me and said with a gentle smile, "And you need to make some friends." I fell asleep that night dreaming of my father.

The next morning I spent in my rooms, first practicing swordplay with a pattern dance Tennebren had taught me, then returning to my desk to do paperwork. It was always me who did paperwork for my mother, because she was too forgetful these days to do it accurately, and because I had ever since my father had gone away and not returned. When I finished it, I stood to stretch, my eyes falling on a book that I had used when I was younger to sketch things that I saw ad wanted to see. I flipped through it, smiling both at the amateurish drawings but at the better ones.

The sketch book prompted me to go out, perhaps to the beach that was only a few miles from here, to sketch something to make me think of something else. I put the book and a charcoal pencil in a pouch, along with my sword, which I belted to my waist. I went out the door and informed the guards that I was leaving, and not to follow me. They were not pleased, but they could not deny my request. I changed to wolf shape as I dashed from the Nest, my breath coming more freely as I raced past the civilized little houses and streets and people, my strides longer and longer until no longer did it seem that I was confined, either by gravity or by sadness.

I stopped at the beach, letting out a joyous, musical howl, prancing about on my own, even taking the liberty of galloping and leaping about, in and out of the surf, letting the waves lap my feet and sides, my howls and yips of joy coming more and often. Finally, I flopped on my side and changed back to human shape, my clothes wet and covered in sand, although my sketchbook had been kept dry in the treated leather and magically sealed pouch I had put it in. I pulled it out and began to draw, the crashing waves, the harsh cries of seagulls, the leaping of a dolphin I saw far off and brilliant, and the mountains in the distance, as well as the building that housed the Wyvern's Nest, white and tall and gleaming amongst the houses of its citizens.

A hand on my shoulder almost wrenched a shriek from me, but instead I only gasped, keeping my composure as my hand touched the sword at my belt. "It's me," Salem said, flopping down beside me, his eyes following the marks in my sketchbook. "You're a very good artist." I blushed. "I wouldn't call it art, really." I protested mildly. "Just idle drawings. I really should be going, I shouldn't have come in the first place, I-" Salem touched a finger to my mouth. "I'd just keep quiet if I were you." he said, a twinkle in his eyes. "It's easy to tell that you aren't being honest." I blushed even more, my eyes stubbornly refusing o meet his, and instead gazing at my feet as they traced lines in the sand.

"Tell me something, Sivvet." he said, leaving off the title of "princess." "What do the loup do in their spare time?" "We don't have spare time." I informed him primly. "Even the children are most always busy. We are singers, if we have any sort of time for pleasurable activities." Salem nodded thoughtfully. "Tell me more about the loup." So I did. I told him about the songs we all spent spare time writing. I told him about midnight hunts, during which we rarely actually hunted, mostly just pirouetted under the moon, enjoying life and the company of others. I told him about the nursery, where older, childless loup watched over the children, who all slept in a large, soft bed in the center. I told him about the beautiful Den, with its walls that sparkled with gemstones and granite. And I told him about what my parents were like, omitting the death of my father and my mother's mental instability.

When I was finished, Salem nodded. "It sounds beautiful, Sivvet." he said matter-of-factly. "I don't think I've ever heard of anything like that. Your kind can really perform magic?" I nodded. "The humans call us loup-garou, or werewolves. They get the stories from the seductions from long ago, when a loup would bed them in the guise of a simple human female, and then reveal to them the form of a wolf; to see if the human had the strength of will to remain with her as a husband. The loup men did the same to the human females. A loup is the most fertile during the full moon, and that is where humans drew their stories from."

Salem grinned. "That's true?" I nodded. "Of course it is." I laughed, something I did only rarely, but I was feeling considerably more comfortable. "The humans somehow got it into their heads that if they have silver with them, they can repel or kill us. It is a childhood dare to find a human and steal the silver they keep with them."


	8. Chapter 8

It was hard to keep a scornful disdain from my voice, but Salem didn't seem to mind. "I think it's fascinating," he said brightly. "Now here's something for you to think on." Then he kissed me, his lips warm on mine, smooth and gentle and caressing. His hand snaked behind my head, running fingers through my hair. I shuddered with a mixture of desire and fear, and pulled back after only a few seconds. My breathing was ragged, and his hand was still cradling the back of my head. I stood abruptly, brushing sand from my clothing and putting the sketchbook back in my pouch. "I have to go." I managed to say, already changing to wolf form. Salem still had a peculiar smile on his face. "Sivvet, if you would be so kind, I wanted to ask you if you would honor the court with a song tonight. Just one or two, so that we can get to understand you as well as you understand us."

I nodded briefly, wanting to get away, and sprang into the woods, dashing as quickly as a sparrow flies, until I reached Wyvern's Nest. I returned to my human body, taking the stairs two at a time to my room. I wrenched the door open and slammed it shut. I threw my sword and sketchbook on the bed, furious at myself for having been so trusting, so open and giving. I should never have told him those things, never have allowed myself to actually hope that he would be my friend, a true friend and one that I could trust. Suddenly I noticed the scroll of paper that lay on my wardrobe. Hoping it was a letter form my mother, I hastily undid the tie and opened it. My heart sank. It was from my mother, but not because of her love. It was the terms of the treaty I was to write up. It included what it was to say and what to include.

All of the things I expected were there, including an extension of borders in exchange for guards to serve Wyvern's Nest, and other things, but there was one thing I did not expect. At the end of the letter, before my mother's closing of "My formal regards, Queen Sylva," were the words, "please include our promise of arranged marriages between the higher class families, in order to strengthen our alliances." My heart sank. Not a word in it was for me, and besides that, it had all but promised me to an avian or serpiente man.

I slumped into the chair by my desk, head bowed, the letter still clutched in my hand. I was tempted to crumple it, to toss it into the fire, but self restraint stopped me, and all I did was gaze at the paper, my eyes feeling glazed and heavy. Then I remembered. While this was important, there was something else pressing on me, something else that had to be taken care of tonight. I had promised Salem that I would sing tonight before the court. My stomach knotted itself into a dozen complicated tangles, and I could feel my heart begin to pound. I opened the door of my rooms and grabbed Mendres's arm to tug him into my rooms. "Mendres!" I cried, hardly able to get the words past my lips. He glanced at me, a smile in his eyes. "Don't smile at me, Mendres." I said coldly. "I promised Salem I would sing tonight." Mendres stared, a question in his puzzled eyes. "What am I to do about it?" he queried, his tone bemused.

This had not occurred to me. I really didn't know what I wanted him to do. "What shall I sing, Menny?" I demanded. "I haven't sung for anyone in at least two years." Mendres grinned as wide as a cat. Then his expression turned thoughtful. "I'll sing counterpoint, Sivvy, if you'd like to perform Wanderer's Lament." I was a bit startled, I had to admit. "But that's the most difficult song we've ever learned, what with all the little catches and transitions." Mendres patted my shoulder. "But it's the song you sound the best in, Sivvy, and I'm not the only one who would jump from a cliff to hear you sing it."

I sighed. "I suppose if that's the best we can do…" I trailed off, because Mendres was striding out the door. "I expect you don't want to be the focal point." he explained to my questioning look. "I'm going to ask some of the dancers I met if they would improvise while we sing." I bit back the urge to scowl, maintaining my composure save for a tiny smile. "You know me too well, Menny." He left me smiling, briefly happy that I had such a kind friend.

That night I wore a black gown Oliza provided me with, seeing as how we both had the same medium height, slender build. My hair I had pulled to the side, over my shoulder and brushing the slight expanse of chest that peeped from the low cut bodice of the dress. I glanced in the mirror before I left, satisfied with my appearance. I took little pride in it; it had never been a priority to look pretty, and it took too much effort that could have been spent on other things.

I hurried down the stairs, and almost crashed into Mendres, who was waiting. He looked quite dashing in silken trousers and shirt the trousers of black, the shirt blood red. "You look quite nice." I said to him, bowing my head gracefully. "The same to you, Princess." he said, his tone smooth. For some reason, I caught a hint of hidden meaning behind his use of my title to address me, but couldn't quite place it. He took my arm and escorted me to the dais, which we mounted, and I stood anxiously in the wings, trying not to convey my nerves through my grip on Mendres's arm.

As the Diente cordially introduced us to the audience, Mendres led me to a stool upon which I sat, with him standing behind me, a hand on my shoulder. As the lights dimmed, I swallowed my pride, and I began to sing in the clear, high voice I had always had:

_May your days forever be brightened_

_May your nights be filled with warmth_

_And may you always have love at your side._

_Forever may darkness be lightened_

_Forever may days be bright_

_And may happiness fill up your mind_

_I know the nights may be long_

_And I no longer sleep at your side_

_I promised my love forever_

_But it seems my time is through_

_Don't linger in sorrow for one who is lost_

_turn your face to the northernmost winds_

_I'll be at your side for all the night's tide_

_and save you from ravage and harm_

_My voice may no longer ring in your ears_

_But yours still carries in mine_

_And so I offer my love and my strength_

_Because I am no longer yours to hold_

_May your days be filled with laughter_

_May your nights be warm and sweet_

_And may one you love tarry at your side_

_And give you true love that is deep._

It seemed as though a trance had fallen over the audience. Their eyes shone in the darkened lights as my voice floated above, Mendres's several notes below, his rich baritone keeping my soprano on a smooth course. As I stopped, my eyes felt warm with impending tears, my heart filled with the song.

A/N: I do not know how this is going for everyone….. I can only work on it every so often, until I get it loaded on my other computer, so hold tight for the next chapters.


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